Crossing-gate control



Nov. 29, 1927.- 1,650,783

G, I. WRIGHT cnossme GATE} CONTROL Filed Feb. 2. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet k 7ll g l M59711 s F l Nov. 29, 1927. 1,650,783

G. l. WRIGHT CROSSING GATE CONTROL I 2 Filed Feb. 2, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet2 5/ .Fjzg, 5 7 l 1 g I H I 1 J 1. l

Q a 61". M3111 I Patented Nov. 29, 1927.

nrree STATES insarax PATENT orrlcn,

GEORGE I. WRIGHT, or FLOSSMOOR, ILLINOIS. Y

CROSSING- GATE conrnoL.

Application fiieerebruaryzg 1925-. SeriarNo. 6,329.

This invention relates to systems for operating or controlling safetycrossing gates such as are adapted to be used at street and railwaycrossings, and relates more particularly to pneumat c systems of thischaracter.

Pneumatic gates for railway crossings or the like, have heretofore beenused more or less commonly, but have beenoperated by hand pumps, so thatit would require considerable time for a gate man or tower man tooperate a set of gates and he could only operate a limited number ofgates and gates at a limited distance from the point of control.

and as a consequence, he could not satisfactorlly operate the gates atmore than one, or perhaps two crossings. Furthermore, on

a", account of the slow operation of the gates,

accidents were often apt to occur, which might have been prevented ifthe gates could be operated more speedily.

The present invention avoids these obq jectionable features and providesmeans whereby the gates may be rapidly operated with. practically noeffort on-the part of the 1 operator, and he is thereby enabled to observe the traflic more carefully and may also operate a large number ofgates.

The particular'objects of this invention are to provide an improvedsystem for oper a simple andefiicient system of the characterindicatedwhich may be readily installed and which will be durable andefiicient in operation; and to provide such other advantages andimprovements as will ap with a valve 28 which. is the same as the pearfrom the following description:

In the accompanying drawings illustrating this inventionp Figure 1 is anelevational view with parts broken away or shown diagrammatically forconvenience in illustration;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the powerplant and controlling apparatus;

Figures 3, 4i and 5 are details showing the positions of the valvesforopening and closing the gates. a

As shown in these drawings 6 represents an air compressor for blower "ofthe positive Furthermore, as it was necesc sary tor hnn to operate thepumps, it would interfere with his observation of the trafhc,

pressure type, which is adapted to supply air under a pressure of abouteight pounds per square inch and which is driven by an*electrio motor 7.The blower intake 8 is preferably provided with a mufller 9 to preventundue noiseyparticularly when the apparatus is located in a tower, forinstance as shown at 10. Theblower is also provided with a release valve11, which is enclosed in a muflier 12 having a pipe 13 leading totheatmosphere. The blower outlet pipe 14 is connected to a header pipe 15which is preferably made sufficiently-large so that itwill serve inamanner as a storage reservoir for supplyingair to the gates.

shown in Figures 1 and 2, the header isprovided with a sufiicient'numberoflead pipesand control valves to operate sixteen gates or a sufficientnumber for four ordinary crossings. .However, as these are allsubstantially duplicates, I it will only be necessary to describe thecontrol for a single pair of gates. A T 116 isconn'ected to the header15 by a nipple 17 and is connected with a four-way valve 18 having anoutlet 19 leading to the atmosphere; Another outlet 20 is connected bymeans of a pipe 21 to the proper side of the pneumatic devices 22 forraising the gates 23. It will-be understood that these gates may be ofany suitable kind in which airor fluid may be utilized for raising andlowering the same. Theopposite outlet 24 of'the valve 18 is connected bya pipe 25 with the opposite or lowering sides of the pneumatic devices"22 for actuating the gates. Any suitable valve may be utilized, as forinstance a conical or plug valve, as shown in Figures 3 to 5, in whichthe passageways areopened and closed by means of a rotatable: cone orvalve member 26, which isactuated by a valve handle 27. I

The opposite end of the T 16 is connected valve 18 and: which controlsthe air going the ones at the .crossingopposite to'the gates 23. It willthus be seen that the two sets of.

gates at a crossing areicontrolled by. the

two valves which are positioned closely to gether. WVhile thi is apreferred arrange ment, of course the piping to the different gatesmaybe arranged in any suitable manner to provide-for differentconditions.

The motor 7 is supplied with electricityfrom any suitable entree 9fsupply-throngs ficient to insure a smoother steady operation of thedevices. v

Assuming that the gates I are in either raised or lowered position, thevalve will be turned to closethe inlet opening from the T, as shown inFigure 3. If the gates for instance are raised and the tower man wishesj to lower them, he presses the switch 31 and 'Startsthe motor andblower. He then turns the valve to the position shown in Figure 4,

, which opens the passageway from the header 0:

to the pipe 25, wiich will actuate the pneumatic devices of the gatesand cause the gates to be closed. Itwill also be noted that when thevalve is turned to this position, a passageway is opened from the pipe21 throughthe valve to the atmosphere, which will relieve any backpressure on the gates and will permit the proper closing of the same. Assoon as, the gates arelowered the valve is again turned to its formerposition,

as shown in'Figure 3, and the motor will ordinarily be stopped.

When. the gates are to be opened, the mo- 'toris again started and thevalve is swung to the position shown in Figure 5, which will i open apassageway from the header 15 to the pipe 21, which permits'the air topass to thepro erside'of-the pneumatic devices ifor'raising the gates23. \Vhen the valve is 'turnedi'n' this position, the pipe 25 is alsobled through the valve in the atmosphere,

as shown in Figure 5.

" From actual installations of my improved apparatus, I have 'found thatthe gates may.

be morerapidly operated than with the ordinarymanually operated gatesand furthermore, 'a larger numberof gates may be op.-

erated by a single tower man, thereby greatly reducing the cost ofoperation as well as increasing the eiiiciency of the gates' Forinstance, in one installation where there is a conslderable amountoftratiic, twelve posts or' gates are controlled fromv one tower byutilizing my improved system.

It will be apparent that'my improved apparatus is suflici'ently flexibleso that it I may be easily adapted for different conditions andtherefore I do not wish to be limited to the exact arrangement hereinshown and described, except as specified in the folljowingcl'aims inwhich I claim 1. Anapparatus for operating a plurality of crossing gates.coinprising a motor, an

I air pressure blower driven by the motor,

pneumatic operating devices for each of said 7' gates, pipes forconducting the air from the blower directly to the respective pneumaticoperating devices and controlling valves for regulatingthe flow throughthe pipes to the respective operating devices.

2. Means for operating pneumatic crossing gates comprising a motor, anair compressor driven by the motor and adapted to directly furnish airat the proper pressure to mechanism for operating the gates, means forconducting the air from the compressor to said mechanism, and means forcontrolling the motor, the arrangement being such that the operator maystart and stop the motor when the gates are to be controlled and thecompressor will have sufficient capacity to furnish air directly atapressure sufficient to operate the gate mechanism.

3; In a crossing gate control system, crossing gates and fluid pressuremeans for raising and lowering them, and a positive pressure blower forso plying fluid under pressure directly there rom to the fluid pressuremeans. I

4. The combination with a plurality of fluid pressure operated crossinggates, of a positive pressure blower, and means for directly connectingthe blower to the gate operating means.

5. The combination with a plurality of crossing gates, of pneumaticmeans forr'aising and lowering them,a positive pressure blower and meansfor cont nuously operating it during such periods as the gates are to beactuated, and means for selectively connecting the blower with thepneumatic means to directly receive the full pressure of the blowerinoperating said-means.

6. In an apparatus of the character set forth, the combination of apositive pressure blower, a motor for actuating the blower, means forstartingand stopping the motor, a, plurality of swinging crossing gates,pneumatic means for aetuatin each of said gates, said means beingoperabl e by the pressure furnished directly from the blower, pipes fromthe blower tothe respective pneumatic means for controlling valves forsaid pipes. y

7. A crossing gate control system for a plurality of the usual pivotedgates having pneumatic devices for operating the same, with accntralstation provided with a low pressure blower whichasupplies air at thepressure required for operating the gates, a motor for said blower,pipes leading from the blower to the respective pneumatic operatingdevices and controlling valves in said pipes.

8. The. combination of a pivoted gate of thetype commonly used forrailway crossings with pneumatic means for operating the same, apositive pressure blower for furnishing air directly at thefproperpressure for a motor for driving said blower and means for starting andstopping the motor.

10. In an apparatus ofthe character set 15 forth, the combination withcrossing gates having gate 5 operating mechanism, of a blower, means fordirectly supplying the air from the blower to the gate operatingmechanism, and means controlling the operation 20 ot' the blower wherebyit operates only when it is desired to move a gate.

GEORGE 1; WRIGHT.

